Violin/old violin

QuestionI have an old small violin 20 inches on total length. Inside the label reads TATRA(with a crown above it)BY ROSETTI
Stradivarius Model
Made at the Cremona Factory, Lubey, Czechoslovakia
I am interested to know anything about this violin and its value if any ? I also have the bow and the blue lined case(which has seen better days).

AnswerHi Isabella
The violin you have is a low grade student violin, made in the town of Luby Czechoslovakia. Luby is a Czech Republic town located in the Cheb District. Before 1946, it was known as Schönbach. So your violin was made between 1946-1993. Czechoslovakia became "The Czech Republic" in 1993. Since the label has the words in English, it was almost certainly made for export to the US which had tough import rules that require the location of manufacturer in English after 1921. It could also have gone to another English speaking country, but because of the town Luby, it has to be post 1946. This area was a large violin making region after the war. It really doesn't have much value, I typically see them for $100-250 on Ebay.

Expertise

I can answer questions on violin, viola, cello and bass making, repair and maintenance as well as supply general violin value ranges and information on instrument makers’ assuming the instrument's as labeled. I don't give values for modern makers as many of these modern makers are yet unknown to me. I can only give you feedback based on what information you give me, and no authority on the instrument can know every maker's work that ever lived. I have access to many books on makers and auction prices on over 25,000 makers, as well as having 36 years of experience with selling and appraising violins. Without having the instrument in hand, any estimate over the internet is just a guess as the label inside an instrument is more often wrong than right, so just having that information is not very useful. Pictures can sometimes be helpful but only so much, as the "feel" of the instrument along with small clues in workmanship and varnish cannot be seen in pictures. Any pictures should be high quality close-ups of the top and back. Additional photos of the front and treble side of the neck are also useful. It is always best to have an instrument seen in person at a violin shop that does appraisals. I can also provide advice on bows, rosin, strings and other string instrument accessories. As I am now retired, I have no bias towards selling anything; I only wish to share my knowledge and experience by providing information for those that may be getting confused by misinformation, misdirection or conflicting statements. (While I have seen many thousands of instruments and have performed numerous appraisals; if I have not evaluated an instrument in person, any information I set forth in an opinion is just that, an opinion based solely on what you have provided. Thusly, no financial decision should be based on that opinion, but rather, further investigation should be performed by having the instrument examined in person.)

Experience

I am a retired violin maker and repairman with 35 years experience having worked in Chicago and Maryland at 5 different violin shops and music stores including the first violin repairman at William Harris Lee in Chicago, the head repairman at Weavers Violins in Maryland, and in my own shop of 25 years. I have made 160 instruments and have restored countless professional level and student grade instruments. I am an accomplished violinist having performed with semi-professional as well as amateur groups although I haven't played for years and mostly stay away from questions about playing. I have taught violin making and restoration to about 20 students; three of which have gone on professionally and now have their own shops. I know violins from playing, selling, repairing, making and teaching.

Education/CredentialsI graduated from the prestigious 4 year Chicago School of Violin Making in 1981 under Master Violin Maker Tschu Ho Lee. I also studied with violin maker Willis M. Gault in Washington DC from 1973-75, who was the former owner of the oldest known example of an instrument from the modern violin family, an Andreas Amati Viola.

Awards and Honors2008 Chester Petranek Award for service to the music community.
ASTA award for service.
Top All Expert in Violin for 2014 and 2015.